Alex Hales hundred sets up Desert Vipers for resounding win

Hales struck 110, curiously watched on by former UK prime minister David Cameron in an otherwise sparsely populated stadium, as Vipers marched to a third straight win

Nick Friend | 20/01/2023 at 18:17

Abu Dhabi: Desert Vipers 219-4, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 108 - Desert Vipers win by 111 runs

Scorecard

An Alex Hales-inspired Desert Vipers condemned Abu Dhabi Knight Riders to a fourth consecutive heavy defeat in the ILT20.

Hales struck 110, curiously watched on by former UK prime minister David Cameron in an otherwise sparsely populated stadium, as Vipers marched to a third straight win and to the top of the table.

He smashed six sixes and seven fours in his 59-ball innings, only to be run out off the final ball of the innings.

Vipers captain Colin Munro (56) added a half century of his own, with Sherfane Rutherford (23) and Tom Curran (16*) pushed up the order to add fireworks late on as they closed on 219 for 4.

For Abu Dhabi, who are yet to win a point, they would have been optimistic of restricting Vipers after Andre Russell had Rohan Mustafa caught at extra cover in the first over, but that was as good as it got for some time, with Hales and Munro sharing a 164-run stand in just 15.5 overs.

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^{Knight Riders have endured a poor start to the tournament (Getty Images)}

In response, Knight Riders were shellshocked, collapsing to 18 for 4 inside five overs.

Brandon King, Kennar Lewis, Colin Ingram and Charith Asalanka all fell cheaply to end the game as a contest, with Sheldon Cottrell doing much of the damage up front, while Asalanka was run out by a direct hit from compatriot Wanindu Hasaranga.

The enormity of the defeat – and the impact on an already desperate net run rate – would have been worse still but for Russell's 57, which came off 29 balls and included five sixes.

But otherwise this was a bleak afternoon for Abu Dhabi. Only Zawar Farid (11) and Dhananjaya de Silva (12) joined Russell in reaching double figures, with their teammates cumulatively finishing 21 for 7 in a 111-run defeat.